A Secret to Kill For
by Tori of Lorien
Summary: For years, Bobby Mercer had belonged to a group called the Black Diamond. He left it when he had more important people in his life. He wanted to move on. But Bobby had a deadly secret, and now someone he loves dearly will pay for it.
1. Prologue

**A Secret to Kill For**

**Summary**: For years, Bobby Mercer had belonged to a group called the Black Diamond. He left it when he had more important people in his life. He wanted to move on. But Bobby had a deadly secret, and now someone he loves will pay for it.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own any of the Mercer brothers or Evelyn, but I do own the members of the Black Diamond.

**A/N**: Hey! This is my first "Four Brothers" story, so please be nice. I just saw this movie recently, and I seriously do now know why I haven't watched it sooner. It's my favorite movie now! My friend at school likes it… Okay, anyway, hope you enjoy it!

**Note**: This is rated for alcohol and drug use, violence, and language (which I normally don't use, so it was odd writing it!). Just thought I'd let you all know that. Lol!

Ages

Bobby: 29

Jerry: 23

Angel: 20

Jack: 12

Prologue… Four Years Earlier

"Looks like I win again, Diamond." Bobby Mercer said, laying his cards out in front of him. "Lady Luck must have given me her heart tonight! What is this, my third time winning now?"

Damon Terel, nicknamed "Diamond" since he was the leader of the Black Diamond group, ran his hand through his blond hair in shock. "I can't believe it, man!" he exclaimed, passing over his poker chips and laying another five dollar bill on top of them. "Wanna' play another round to see if your luck still holds out?"

Bobby checked his watch as he took another drink from his beer bottle. "Nah. I have to get home and check on the family." he replied, picking up the five dollars. "It's getting late."

"Come on, Bobby." Diamond said, trying to convince him to stay. "It's only a half hour after eleven! Stay and play another round!"

"I'm sorry, but I have to go!" Bobby told him, raising his voice so that he could get his point across. "Is the gang meeting here again tomorrow?"

Diamond nodded. "You bet." he said. "We're here the whole weekend, man!"

"I'll be here at nine then!" Bobby replied, taking his beer with him as he left the bar. He sighed as he pulled his car keys out of his pocket as he entered the parking lot. In truth, he was glad that he was leaving this early. His twelve-year-old brother, Jack, had been having nightmares and didn't want to sleep lately. He seemed to be the only one who could calm him down enough to get him to get some rest…

Bobby reached his car and unlocked it when he heard a footstep behind him. He looked up and saw a man a couple of years younger than him with light brown hair and deep blue eyes. He recognized him at once to be Diamond's younger brother. "Hey, Andrew." he said, leaning against his car while he took a sip of beer. "Did I leave something inside?"

"No, man." Andrew replied, stopping in front of him. "I just want to ask you about something."

"What?" Bobby muttered, beginning to have an uneasy feeling about his tone.

Andrew sighed. "Is the word true?" he asked. "Are you really leaving the Black Diamond?"

Bobby took another drink before he said anything. "I left a long time ago." he answered. "I'm just here visiting my mother and brothers for the week. Then, I'm heading back to Chicago. I didn't even know that you guys were here tonight. When your brother asked me if I wanted to play a few games, I didn't think that it would hurt."

"Why didn't you tell Diamond?" Andrew demanded, seeming to be very upset by his words. "You were a dedicated member!"

"That's not the life I wanted anymore." Bobby told him quietly, finishing off his beer. "Besides, I didn't want him getting on my ass about it. I'll tell him at a better time. I have other things in my life that matter to me now."

Bobby turned away from him and opened his car door, but froze when he heard a slight click from behind him. He glanced back, and saw that Andrew had pulled out a knife. "No one ever leaves the Black Diamond alive." the man muttered, the hand he was holding the blade in shaking. "Especially you. You know too many of our secrets."

"And who am I going to tell?" Bobby demanded, trying to keep his temper down as he turned completely around. "I'm not involved with anything anymore!"

Andrew looked back at him, mad glint in his eye. "I can't take that chance." he whispered, lunging the knife at the other man.

Bobby closed the door and moved out of the way of the weapon, then dodged another swing. He grabbed his empty beer bottle from the hood of the car and swung it out blindly in defense. What happened next, Bobby knew he would regret for as long as he lived. The bottle collided forcefully with the other man's temple, shattering into hundreds of tiny pieces. The knife fell from Andrew's hand as he hit the hard ground, unmoving.

Breathing hard, Bobby kicked the knife away from him so he couldn't reach for it again. But Andrew didn't move. Cautiously, Bobby knelt down next to him and placed his first two fingers on the man's neck to check his pulse. After a moment, he noticed that he wasn't feeling one…

Horrified, Bobby jumped to his feet and backed away from the lifeless figure, not being able to believe what he had done. He anxiously looked around, hoping that no one had been outside to witness the scene. Bobby then sighed with relief after he scanned the quiet parking lot. It seemed like he was alone.

Suddenly, the door to the bar opened, and Diamond himself walked out. "Damn it!" Bobby whispered to himself, quickly getting into the car and starting it. He backed out of the parking space and drove away from Andrew, hoping to get away before Diamond discovered his brother.

Diamond looked at Bobby curiously as he passed him. "Hey, Mercer!" he shouted to him since the car window was rolled down. "Hold on a minute!"

But Bobby ignored him and kept on driving. He wanted to get out of there as soon as possible. Diamond shrugged and kept on walking.

Bobby then had to slam on his breaks when other cars stopped in front of him to get out of the parking lot. "Shit!" he said, anxiously glancing behind him. Then, he turned his attention to the people in front of him. "Hurry up!" he shouted, honking the horn to try to get them to move faster. The only thing this action did was cause the other cars to honk back at him.

Finally, Bobby reached the head of the line. He was about to pull out onto the street, but he suddenly cringed when he heard Diamond's pained cry. He sighed and ran his hand over his face before he drove out of the parking lot. The noise of Diamond's pain had been haunting. He knew he wouldn't be able to sleep that night, not with the guilt that he was feeling. But Bobby knew that wasn't going be the reason for his insomnia. For on the cry, he could have sworn that he had heard his own name angrily being shouted.

Xxxxxxxxxx

Jack shouted out as his eyes snapped open. Breathing hard, he looked around him, and saw that he was in the safety of his own room. He sighed as he sat up on his bed, running his hand over his face. He couldn't believe that he had fallen asleep while he was waiting for Bobby to return home. The twelve-year-old realized that he must have been exhausted from not getting as much sleep as he needed to.

Before he had come to live with Evelyn, his dreams had been his only form of escape from his father. But not, even his dreams were showing him scenes from his life when he lived with that horrible man. There was no safety there for him now…

Suddenly, Jack jumped when someone appeared in his open doorway. "You all right, Jackie?" a man asked, his deep voice sounding concerned. "I heard your shout from down the hall."

Jack sighed and calmed down when he realized that it was one of his older brothers, the second youngest in age next to him. "I'm fine, Angel." he told the twenty-year-old. "I just had a bad dream."

Angel slowly entered the room and sat down on the bed next to him. "Is there anything that you want to talk to me about?" he wondered. "Don't worry. I'll understand if you don't."

The twelve-year-old looked away from his brother as he thought about his answer. Then, he looked back up at him with a terrified look on his face that made Angel's breath catch in his chest. "All right, you don't have to tell me." he muttered. "Too bad Bobby ain't here yet, huh, Jackie?"

"He's not back yet?" Jack said, growing anxious. "What time is it?"

Angel looked over at the clock that was across the room. "It's five minutes after midnight." he replied. "Damn. He said that he would leave the bar a half hour ago. It doesn't take him this long to get home."

"You don't think something happened to him, do you?" Jack whispered, trying not to let his anxiousness get to him.

Angel laughed. "Nah. I'm sure he's fine." he assured the boy. "If anyone can take care of himself, it's Bobby Mercer."

Jack smiled. He knew that these words were true… Angel sighed as he watched his younger brother. "Are you sure you're all right, Jackie?" he said. "Do you want me to get Mom?"

"No." Jack told him. "I don't want to worry her."

Angel nodded. "All right." he replied, getting to his feet. "At least try to get some rest while you wait for Bobby."

Jack watched as his older brother walked toward the door. But he found that while he was leaving, his fear was returning as well… "Angel, wait!" he suddenly said, surprised at how desperate he sounded.

Angel stopped in the doorway and looked back at him, feeling concerned. "What is it, Jackie?" he muttered.

The twelve-year-old looked back at him as his mind anxiously processed his emotions. He didn't want to say that he was scared, but he didn't want his older brother to leave either. "Can you stay with me until Bobby gets home?" he asked quietly.

Angel smiled at the simple request. "Sure, Jackie." he answered. "Let me just grab some things, okay?"

Jack nodded and watched as the man left the room. He felt extremely grateful, but a little embarrassed, that Angel was willing to stay with him until Bobby came home. When that was going to be, he had no idea.

Then, Angel came back into the room, holding a blanket and a pillow. He grabbed the chair by Jack's desk and sat on it, raising his legs on the bed as he situated the pillow under his head and put the blanket over him. "There." he muttered. "All comfortable."

"Thank you, Angel." Jack said, giving his older brother a small smile.

Angel smiled back. "No problem, Jackie." he replied. "After all, what are brothers for?" He barely got the last word out since he couldn't suppress a yawn. Then, after a few minutes, Angel dozed off, knowing that his presence alone would comfort the boy.

Jack sighed and grabbed his pillow, holding it close to him as he brought his knees up to his chin. Where was Bobby? Did something happen to him? The twelve-year-old could feel his anxious mind beginning to show him images of Bobby getting into a car accident; losing a fight with someone, his older brother lying dead on the sidewalk…

At this point, Jack considered waking Angel. He needed someone to talk to so that he could get his mind off of these dark thoughts. Sighing, he slowly reached his hand out toward his brother's arm…

Suddenly, his hand froze when he heard a door downstairs open.

Xxxxxxxxxx

Bobby closed the front door behind him, shivering from the cold as he set his keys on the shelf next to the coat rack. He then hung up his coat and headed toward the kitchen, planning on getting something to drink before he headed up to Jack's room. It was going to be hard to say good-bye to them so soon…

"And why are you home so late?"

Bobby froze and spun around, watching as his adoptive mother, Evelyn, walked out of the shadows of the living room. "I'm sorry, Ma." he answered, walking over to her. "It's just that-!"

"Bobby, it's almost a quarter after midnight!" Evelyn interrupted, her voice fierce. "You said that you would leave at eleven thirty. It doesn't take you over a half hour to get home from that damn bar! It only takes you ten minutes. Ten minutes, Bobby!" She paused and sighed. "Think about Jackie." she muttered. "He's been waiting for you all of this time."

The oldest Mercer brother only looked back at her, not saying a word. What was he supposed to tell her? He had left at the time he had promised, but he killed a man in self-defense and had to take many detours home to make sure that the victim's furious older brother didn't follow him?

Above them, Jack quietly left his room so that he wouldn't wake Angel. He swiftly moved to the top of the stairs and sat down, silently listening to their conversation so they wouldn't know that he was there. He could tell that something was wrong with Bobby as soon as he walked in, but he wasn't sure what. His suspicion was confirmed when he heard Evelyn's surprised gasp.

"Bobby, were you _crying_?" she asked, her anger gone and replaced with concern.

Jack was shocked when he heard this question. _Crying_?! Bobbie never cried!

Bobby sighed, rubbing his hand over his red-rimmed eyes that were still tearing a little. "No. I wasn't crying, Ma." he answered, hoping that his voice didn't give the truth away. "There were a lot of people smoking at the bar tonight. You know how I get if I'm around a lot of smoke."

The oldest Mercer hoped that his story was believable. He didn't want to worry his mother and say that he really had been crying. He hoped that she wouldn't question him further…

Evelyn looked at Bobby, knowing that what he saw wasn't the truth. But she knew her son well enough that if he didn't want to talk, she shouldn't press him. "Well, go upstairs and see Jackie, Bobby." she muttered. "Poor kid. He's probably exhausted waiting for you."

"There's something else that I have to tell you first, Ma." Bobby said, his voice strained.

Hearing the serious tone of his voice, Evelyn froze and looked her son in the eyes. "What's wrong, dear?" she asked worriedly. "Are you all right?"

Bobby nodded, but he looked just as strained as he sounded. "I'm heading back to Chicago tonight." he answered in a voice that was barely above a whisper.

Jack gasped silently when he heard these words. Why was Bobby leaving so soon?

Evelyn looked at him, shocked. "So soon?" she said. "Why? You only arrived two days ago."

The youngest Mercer didn't even wait to hear the reply. Jack quickly got to his feet and ran down the stairs, running into the living room. "Bobby, please don't go!" he shouted, throwing his arms around his older brother's waist from behind.

Bobby looked down on the twelve-year-old, startled. "What's wrong, you little fairy?" he asked, turning around so that he could put his hand on his brother's shoulder.

"I didn't know you were down here, Jackie." Evelyn added, putting her hand on her youngest son's head with concern.

Jack didn't answer, but remained close to Bobby. The older Mercer sighed, tightening his hand on his shoulder in a comforting way.

Then, they all looked into the hall when they heard footsteps coming down the stairs. A sleepy looking Angel entered the living room, and his face brightened up when he saw his older brother. "Hey, Bobby! It's about time you got home!" he said with a laugh.

But his demeanor changed when he saw Jack. "Why is Jackie hugging you like he won't see you tomorrow?" he muttered, confused.

Bobby sighed. "It's because he won't." he replied while Evelyn tried to gently pry Jack away from him without success.

"What are you talking about?" Angel asked. "What's happening tomorrow?"

"I'm heading back to Chicago tonight." Bobby answered, his words causing Jack to hug him tighter. "A problem arose at where I work, so I have to go back." Again, Bobby hoped that they didn't see through his lie. He didn't want to worry them by telling them that he was actually trying to avoid men who were most likely going to be after him.

Angel sighed. "Well, I guess you gotta' do what you gotta' do, man." he said, giving his brother a one-armed hug. "I only wish you could have stayed longer."

"Me too." Bobby agreed, giving his brother a nod. Then, he turned to the youngest Mercer. "Come on, fairy. Up to your room." he told him. "Let's go."

Jack looked up at him and finally let go, heading up the stairs with Bobby behind him, leaving Evelyn and Angel to think about the oldest brother's strange behavior.

Bobby followed Jack up into his room, watching as he lay down on his bed. He sat down by his brother's side, looking down on him in concern. "Did you fall asleep while I was gone?" he asked, covering him with the blanket.

Jack slowly nodded. "I had another nightmare." he answered quietly.

Bobby sighed, his thoughts so scrambled from the events of earlier that night that he wasn't sure what to say at that moment. He could feel his younger brother's eyes on him, then narrow in confusion.

"Is the reason you're leaving really work related?" Jack suddenly said.

Bobby looked at him, startled by the question. He was surprised at how easily his brother could see through him…

"Look, Jackie. There comes a time when we each must do what we have to do." he told him. "My heading back to Chicago is only one of them. But listen to me. I'll come back when things settle down there. All right?"

Jack nodded, seeming to be satisfied with this answer.

"Good." Bobby said. "Now, I want to talk about you."

"What is there to talk about?" Jack asked flatly.

"Plenty." Bobby answered with a small smile. "If you want to or not." He sighed when he saw Jack's downcast expression. "Look, Jackie." he muttered. "I know what happened to you before Ma adopted you, and I know she told you this, but I'm going to repeat it. You're safe here. No one will hurt you while you live under this roof. I promise you."

Jack looked up at Bobby, and then nodded. "Thank you, Bobby." he said, yawning as his eyes began to close with tiredness.

Bobby smiled down on him. "Get some sleep, you little fairy." he told him, messing up his hair a little. "You look exhausted."

Jack yawned again as his eyes completely closed. As he finally allowed his tiredness consume him, the last thought on his mind before he drifted off to sleep was that Bobby wouldn't be there the next time he opened his eyes.

**A/N**: Kind of a long prologue! But, oh well. All that matters is if you like it or not. Did you? I'll try to get more on soon, but if you did like it, reviews are much appreciated! Thanks, guys!


	2. Chapter 1: The Return of Bobby

**Disclaimer**: I still don't own any of the brothers or Evelyn, but I do own the Black Diamond and Jack's band. Lol!

**A/N**: Hey! Thank you for all of the reviews! Okay, I noticed that I did a typo with ages, and thank you to thowra-angel for bringing it to my attention. I'm not sure how this happened (I guess I should have double-checked before I posted, huh?), but Bobby's age was supposed to be (keyword is "supposed", lol!) **24 **instead of **29** in the prologue. Now since chapter one starts four years later, he would be **28**. I'm sorry if I threw you off just now, but I'm trying to fix it. So, please don't be confused! Bobby's age is now **28**. I know it's a year younger than the prologue, but if you read this, you'll be fine. Sorry if there's any confusion! Hope you enjoy this! It's not the most action-packed, but it's important. Plus, I'm throwing the OC's called "Jack's band". Anyway, enjoy!

Ages

Bobby: 28 (don't get confused!!!!!!)

Jerry: 27

Angel: 24

Jack: 16

Ch. 1: The Return of Bobby

Jack slowly opened his eyes when the bright sunlight filtering through the window hit them. He groggily looked around as he sat up, his eyes heading over to the lock across the room from him to check the time. Ten in the morning. It was still early…

Suddenly, the sixteen-year-old jumped when someone appeared in his open doorway. "Come on, Jackie!" Angel said, looking at his tired younger brother in disbelief. "Mom's got breakfast ready. Jerry told me to wake you. He's starving!"

"I'm coming." Jack muttered. "Damn. Be patient."

"It's not my fault, man." Angel replied, watching as Jack dragged himself out of bed. "Jerry's the one who wants you to hurry. You know how Mom is. We all have to eat together as a family."

Jack nodded, a small smile on his face. "I know." he said as he pulled his shirt over his head. "Just the way we like it."

Angel smiled and nodded. "Definitely." he agreed. Then, the two brothers walked down the stairs together and entered the kitchen.

An impatient-looking Jerry was sitting at his spot at the table, looking at Evelyn as she stared him down. But when Jack and Angel entered the room and sat down, they ended their staring contest immediately.

"There you two are." Evelyn said with a smile, turning around to grab four plates. "I thought you'd never wake up, Jackie. You sleep like the dead!"

Jack was about to reply, but Angel beat him to it. "Little Jackie needed his beauty sleep!" he teased with a laugh.

"Shut up." Jack muttered, sourly taking a drink of the orange juice that his mother had set in front of him.

"That's enough, Angel." Evelyn snapped in a warning tone as she began to scoop eggs onto the plates. "We're eating."

"Sorry, Mom." Angel replied, sharing a smirk with Jerry. Jack gave them a dark look.

Then, Evelyn set their plates, a warm meal of eggs, bacon, and toast, on the table in front of them, and the four of them began to eat. Jack kept glancing at Bobby's empty seat, vaguely aware of his brothers' discussion, thinking about what the oldest Mercer had said. He said that he would return. He had promised. It had been four years since that night. Did it really take that long for someone to settle things down? 

"Jack. Jack!"

The youngest Mercer jerked out of his thoughts, looking at Angel across the table, then at Jerry next to him. Angel had been the one who had spoken. "What?" he asked, taking another bite of toast.

"I asked you what your plans were for today." Angel answered. "Weren't you listening, or are you still asleep?" 

"Sorry, Angel. Just… thinking…." Jack muttered. "Uh, not much. Chloe and I were planning on getting the band together today." Chloe Mitchell was a friend and classmate of Jack's that lived across the street.

"The one that has no name?" Angel said. "I swear, you guys are known around your school as "The Band". A name would be nice."

Jack rolled his eyes. "That's why we're meeting today." he replied, getting to his feet as he picked up his empty plate. "That's the first thing that we're going to take care of."

"And what's the name going to be?" Angel asked with a grin as he put his plate in the sink after his brother. "Jackie and the Fairies?" 

"I was going to say The Band." Jerry muttered.

"Shut the hell up, man." Jack answered as Angel laughed.

Jerry laughed a little as he finished his breakfast. "I'll give you a ride whenever you need one, kid." he said as he handed his plate to Angel to put in the sink since he was closer.

"Or you could just give me your car to use." Jack suggested, unable to keep a straight face.

"And let you get a bunch of tickets that I'll have to end up paying for later? Hell no!" Jerry exclaimed as Jack and Angel laughed.

Evelyn remained silent as she began to do the dishes, listening as three of her sons laughed and talked with each other. She had seen Jack's continuous glances at Bobby's empty seat, and she knew that he missed the oldest Mercer even though he wasn't showing it and he was acting like it wasn't a big deal. But she felt concern for her son as well, and her instincts were telling her that something was very wrong… and it had been wrong for four years.

Xxxxxxxxxx

"Thanks for the ride, Jer." Jack said as he got out of the car in front of school with Chloe behind him.

"Yes. Thank you very much, Jerry." she added politely.

"No problem, kids." Jerry told them with a smile. "Jackie, you have my cell phone number and my home phone number, right?"

Jack nodded. "Yeah, Jer." he replied.

"Good." Jerry said. "I'm going to be spending the day at home with my family today. Just call when you want me to come pick ya'll up. If I'm not at my house and you can't reach me on my cell, call Mom at home and she'll come get you. Have fun." Then, he drove away.

Chloe waved after him, then turned with a smile to face Jack. "Your brothers are so awesome!" she exclaimed. "Both of them!" She only knew Jerry and Angel. She didn't even know that Bobby existed.

"That may be, but you're too polite." Jack replied with a smile of his own.

"And you aren't?" Chloe asked, her playful brown eyes, which were a shade darker than her hair, sparkling.

"Not like you." Jack laughed.

Chloe laughed a little as well. She was the keyboardist of the band and the most energetic member. She was there when Jack first decided to make a band, and she was the one who had convinced him to be the lead guitarist and vocals.

"So, when do you think the others will get here?" she suddenly asked.

Before Jack could answer, a tan car came around the corner and came to a stop in front of them. "Now." he muttered while they watched Eric White step out of the driver's seat. His blond hair was up in spikes that day, and he was sporting a new piercing over one of his deep blue eyes. He was the drummer of the group.

"Nice look." Chloe commented as he approached them.

"Thanks." Eric replied. "So, am I early or are Raya and Ryan late?" 

"Neither." a female voice said from behind him.

Jack looked past Eric and saw that Raya and Ryan Smith were crossing the street. They were twins with identical copper-colored hair and blazing green eyes. Raya was the older twin by only thirty seconds. She was the other guitarist alongside Jack, but she wasn't lead. Her brother Ryan was the bassist.

"We got here the same time you did." Raya concluded, giving Eric a hug. They had begun dating when Jack brought the band together.

"All right. That's everyone." Jack addressed them. "The first thing that I think we have to take care of is our name. What do we call ourselves?" 

"We're popular around the school, so we need a name that will keep that up." Ryan said. "We want to be known…"

"How about 'The Diamond Mercers'." Chloe suggested. "Think about it. Jack was the one who brought us together, so he should have some credit. And the diamond part just sounds cool."

"She has a point…" Eric muttered. "We should definitely have "diamond" somewhere in our name. It has an effect to it."

"Definitely." Ryan agreed.

Raya remained quiet, thinking of another possible name. "What about 'Black Diamond'?" she finally asked. "That sounds _really_ cool."

"I think I'd have to go with that one." Ryan said. "It sounds better." Since they were twins, they pretty much thought the same way.

"Well, _I'm _sticking with 'The Diamond Mercers'. I think that one sounds better." Chloe stated defiantly. "I mean seriously. Are we a band or a dangerous level skiing hill?"

Jack cringed as the two girls continued to argue. It was just a name, not something to fight over. He didn't really want his name to be in the band's, but it _did_ sound better than 'Black Diamond'…

"What do you think, Jack?" Chloe asked, turning to look at him. The other three members followed suit.

Jack sighed before he said anything. He knew Raya wouldn't be happy with what he was about to say. "I don't really like the way 'Black Diamond' sounds for us." he answered quietly. "So, I would have to go with the other one…" Chloe smiled.

"It's just because your name's in it, isn't it?" Raya asked, sounding a little angry. Then, she turned to look at her boyfriend. "Eric, what do you think?" she asked.

Eric looked at her uncomfortably. "I don't really care." he told her. "They're both good…"

Before Raya could say anything, a new voice floated over to them. "It's spring break. What are you kids doing at school?"

Jack looked down the sidewalk with the rest of the band, and he was shocked to see who the man was that was walking toward them. Raya moved closer to her brother. "Who is that?" she whispered. "I've never seen him around here before."

The man stopped a few feet in front of them. "What's the matter, Jackie?" he asked with a grin. "Aren't you happy to see me?"

A smile broke out on Jack's face as he hurried over to him. "Bobby!" he exclaimed happily as he stopped in front of him.

Bobby smiled back as he pulled his younger brother into a one-armed hug. "How are ya' doin', sweetheart?" he said. "It's been a while!"

"Yes, it has." Jack replied, looking at him in disbelief. "I was just so shocked that you're back. You have facial hair now too. You look so different…"

"Which way do I look better, you little fairy?" Bobby asked, posing. "With or without. You'd be a good judge."

Jack laughed. "I don't know. I guess I'm just used to you without…" he muttered. "Do Mom, Jerry, and Angel know that you're back?"

"Yeah. I dropped my car off there before I walked here. I didn't bother bring anything else since I know Ma will have it. Besides, I don't know how long I'm going to be stayin'…" Bobby told him. "Is this your band?"

"Yeah, that's them." Jack said with a nod. "We're having a bit of a dispute right now though…"

"Oh, really? Well, maybe I could help." Bobby replied, walking toward them as he pulled Jack along with him. "I'm good at this kind of thing, right, Jackie?"

Jack braced himself as they approached the rest of the band. When Bobby wanted to settle something, it normally ended in a fistfight… "Hey, guys." the youngest Mercer addressed them. "This is my older brother, Bobby. Bobby, this is our keyboardist, Chloe; our bassist, Ryan; our other guitarist, Raya; and our drummer, Eric."

"Hello." Bobby said while the rest of the band nodded at him. "Jack said that you were having a little dispute. What's going on?" 

"We can't decide on a group name." Chloe explained. "We have two choices, and we're pretty much divided equally on the matter. Could you give us your opinion on what you like better? The two choices are 'The Diamond Mercers' and 'Black Diamond'."

Jack looked up at his older brother and was shocked by the slight look of horror that had appeared on Bobby's face. No one else seemed to notice. They were only waiting patiently for his answer.

"Uh… the first one." Bobby finally uttered. "_Mercer Diamond_ or whatever it was… It sounds better." Then, he looked at Jack. "Well, sweetheart. I'm gonna head back home. I only came to say hi to you and tell you that I was back." he told him. "I'll see you later at supper, all right? Then, we can talk some more. I want to know what you've been up to for these past four years, man."

"All right." Jack muttered. "Bye, Bobby." The youngest Mercer watched as his brother walked away from them. For some reason, he seemed to be disturbed by the name 'Black Diamond'. In fact, Jack had sensed that he had been acting different since the first time he had laid eyes on him a few minutes earlier. He knew that something was up, he just didn't know what it was. What was it that had Bobby acting so strangely?

Xxxxxxxxxx

At the end of the street, a man who was sitting in his black car lowered the binoculars he had been holding. "So, the word is true? Bobby Mercer really has returned." he muttered, moving a strand of blond hair that had fallen into his face. "And that must be his little brother, Jack, that he was always so concerned about."

He grinned, starting the car up. "Well. We'll just see how long their little reunion lasts."

**A/N**: I hoped you liked it! Reviews are much appreciated. Again, please don't be confused by the age thing. Thanks!

**Next time**: Bobby vs. Jack!


	3. Chapter 2: Bobby vs Jack!

**Disclaime**r: Uh, nope, I still don't own any of the brothers or Evelyn… last time I checked. Lol!

**A/N**: Wow, I love spring break! I can update so much faster! Lol! Anyway, I'm glad you guys weren't confused by Bobby's age change. I can't believe I totally missed that when I typed the prologue… Well, anyway, it's fixed so there are no more problems! I'm glad you guys liked the last chapter. Thank you for the reviews! Here's where things start picking up. I'm warning you now that some of the brothers may seem a little out of character, but I had to do something to transition to the next part of the story, and this was the only thing that I could think of. Besides, anything can happen when Bobby's drunk… right? 

Ch. 2: Bobby vs. Jack!

Chloe opened the door of the car, smiling back at her friend. "I'll see you later, Jack." she said as he got out the other door. "Bye."

"Bye, Chloe." Jack replied, watching her walk across the street to her house. Then, he turned his attention to his older brother as he rolled down the window.

"I'm going to head home now." Jerry told him. "But tell Mom I'll stop by tomorrow for breakfast too."

"I will." Jack assured him. "Bye, Jer." He watched him drive off, standing alone on the sidewalk for a few minutes. The band hadn't gotten anything accomplished that day since both Raya and Chloe were determined not to change their minds. It was just a name, and now he wasn't sure if it would break them apart or not.

Then, his mind traveled to Bobby.

Bobby… After four long years, he had finally returned. But now, he was acting differently… very differently. He didn't even seem like himself. Jack remembered the night that he had left to go back to Chicago. He had been acting differently then too. Was the reason he left really work related? Or was it something else…

Jack sighed and walked up to the house. He decided that he would speak with Bobby after dinner when the family split up and began to do their own things. Then, he would find out what was really going on. 

"There you are, Jackie!" Evelyn exclaimed as he walked through the front door. "I was getting worried, honey. Dinner's almost ready."

"I'm fine, Mom." Jack replied as he hung up his coat. "Jerry wanted me to tell you that he'll come over again tomorrow morning."

"That's good." Evelyn said as she ruffled his hair a little. "I know that he has a family of his own now, but it's nice that he comes to visit us often." She paused for a moment as she looked at her youngest son. "I bet you're glad that Bobby's home, huh?" she asked.

Jack looked up at her for a moment before he smiled a little and nodded. "Yeah." he answered quietly with a small laugh. "Very glad…" 

Evelyn looked at him in concern. "Jackie, are you all right, honey?" she asked, placing her hand on his shoulder. 

"Fine." Jack told her with a smile. "You worry too much." Then, he walked into the kitchen. Angel and Bobby were already standing by the table, the oldest Mercer holding a beer bottle in his hand. He smiled when he saw Jack.

"Hey, there's the little fairy!" Bobby exclaimed as Jack stopped next to him. "It's about time you got home! Did you ever decide on a name for your band yet?"

"No." Jack replied with a sigh. "The girls are each set on one of the choices, and neither one will change their mind. I'm not sure what will happen if we can't reach an agreement."

"Then you can be 'Jackie and the Fairies' like I suggested earlier." Angel said with a smirk, making Bobby laugh.

Jack gave them a death-glare. He was able to tell that Bobby had already had a few beers… maybe a couple too many.

Then, Evelyn entered the kitchen and smiled at her sons. "All right, boys. Time for dinner." she told them, grabbing plates out of the cupboard.

After a prayer thanking God for the safe return of Bobby and an uneventful dinner of homemade tacos, the family divided up to do their own things. Angel ran upstairs to his room while Bobby went into the living room with another beer bottle. Jack helped Evelyn with the dishes, hearing the television turn on from the next room, then wandered into the living room, finding Bobby sitting on the couch watching a movie on T.V. The oldest Mercer looked away from the screen when he heard his brother's cautious footsteps.

"I don't bite in case you forgot, sweetheart." he said with a small smile.

Jack returned it and sat down on the couch next to his older brother. "It's good to have you back, Bobby." he muttered.

"I'm not sure how long I'm going to be here." Bobby replied, turning the volume down on the television so that his focus could be on Jack. "It all depends on how work is going and all…"

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about." Jack sighed, looking at his brother intently.

Bobby turned to look at the youngest Mercer, starting to feel a little hesitant. Did the sixteen-year-old know what was really happening?

"Was the reason you left really work related?" Jack asked quietly. "Does this have anything to do with your work at all? Or is there something that you're keeping from us?"

"Of course this is about work, Jackie!" Bobby answered, his voice a little louder than he meant to. "I thought I clearly told you that we were having some problems-!"

"Then why were you uncomfortable with the name 'Black Diamond'?" Jack interrupted, his voice raised a little to match Bobby's. It wasn't in his nature to be like this, but he had to know what was going on with his brother. "I know that a name like that has nothing to do with your work. What are you not telling us, Bobby?"

Evelyn finished putting the now clean dishes away in their proper places and was about to head upstairs to her room when she heard the raised voices of Bobby and Jack. It wasn't like them to be yelling at each other, especially Jack. He never yelled at anyone. Her youngest son was always so quiet… She stayed close to the wall, only able to listen in horror to her sons' argument.

An angry look crept over Bobby's face. "Never mention that name to me again, Jack!" he snapped, making his younger brother recoil a little from his harshness. "Do you understand me?!"

Jack knew he shouldn't continue this discussion, but he suddenly became more offensive again, which caught Bobby off-guard because it was so uncharacteristic of him. "I just don't understand why you're not telling us the damn truth, Bobby!" he shouted. "What are you hiding?!"

Tears formed in Evelyn's eyes as she continued to listen to their escalating anger. Bobby and Jack never fought… never.

"Damn it, Jack!" Bobby yelled angrily. "You're making this harder than it has to be with all of your damn questions! I'm trying to protect you!"

Jack laughed a little as he tried to keep his emotions back, to try to hide them from his brother. "You don't think that I've had to protect myself from worse, Bobby?" he asked. "My life was a living Hell before I came to live here! I've faced worse, and I survived all on my own! I don't need any protection from you! I can take care of myself! Unlike you, I'm not afraid of a mere _name_, Bobby…" 

Evelyn covered her mouth to stifle her gasp when she heard the sound of shattering glass as Bobby got to his feet and slammed his half-empty beer bottle down on a small end table in his anger. Jack covered his face to keep the alcohol from getting into his eyes. That's when Evelyn's tears fell.

"You don't know what the hell is going on, and it's going to stay that way!" the oldest Mercer screamed, tightly holding onto the only part of the beer bottle that hadn't shattered. "You're not going to get involved in this, Jack! Now, leave me the hell alone and stay out of the way of my damn business!"

Hearing the raised voices and breaking glass from his room, Angel quickly rushed down the stairs, only to find Evelyn standing outside of the living room with tears streaming from her eyes. "Mom, what's wrong?" he asked anxiously, pulling her into a hug. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine." Evelyn answered through her tears. "But Jackie and Bobby aren't. Bobby's drunk and they got into a fight."

Angel was shocked. Ever since Jack had joined the family years before, he and Bobby had never gotten into a fight. They were always so close… 

Tears burned in Jack's eyes as he got to his feet and turned away from his older brother, heading toward the hallway. He didn't even cringe when he heard the sound of breaking glass behind him when Bobby threw the rest of the bottle at the wall. As hard as he tried to keep them back, Jack felt a couple of his tears escape… 

Angel seated Evelyn down on a small chair that was in the hall just as Jack entered. He was horrified to see that the youngest Mercer was silently crying… "Jack, stop. Listen to me." he said, grabbing onto his arm as he stared up the stairs.

Jack stopped and looked down on his brother, trying to keep more of his tears back without success. "Jackie, please don't take this to heart." Angel begged, putting his hand on his shoulder reassuringly. "Bobby's drunk. He's been drinking ever since he got home since he's been a bit on the edgy side. He doesn't mean what he said!"

"He still said it." Jack whispered, pulling away from Angel as he hurried up the stairs, slamming the door to his room behind him.

Angel sighed and walked back over to Evelyn, placing his hands on her shoulders. "I'm gonna' talk to Bobby and get to the bottom of this." he told her. "It'll give Jackie a chance to cool down too. Then we can sort this out." 

Evelyn nodded and watched as her son walked into the living room to confront the oldest Mercer. At the same time, she heard a door open above her and footsteps come down the stairs. Jack came into view, now wearing a black hoodie and putting something into his pocket. "Jackie, where are you going, dear?" Evelyn asked quietly, getting to her feet and walking over to him. "Are you all right, honey?"

Jack smiled as he hugged his mother back. "I'm fine, Mom." he answered. "I'm just going out for a little walk to cool down. I'll be back soon. Okay?"

Evelyn wanted to say something to him… to keep him from leaving. But more tears choked her up when Jack opened the door and walked out into the night, closing the door behind him. "Jack…" she whispered, having an unexplainable feeling in her heart. It scared her, and she knew that something was wrong.

**A/N**: Ah, Angel. The voice of reason. Lol! Anyway, I'm sorry that Bobby and Jack may seem a little out of character in this chapter. I know they would probably never really fight, but oh well! I had to do something like this to transition into the next chapter, and I gave a little hint at the end about what it may be. Hope you liked it! The little blue box in the left hand corner can get lonely if you let it. Lol! Reviews are much appreciated!


	4. Chapter 3: Phone Call

**Disclaimer**: I don't own any of the brothers or Evelyn, but Diamond and the rest of Jack's band are mine.

**A/N**: Hey, everyone! Thanks so much for your reviews. I'm so sorry that this took me so long to update. I've been having a writer's block on it, but I'm finally able to get it up. Hopefully, you're all still with me! Since it's been so long, let's do a recap, shall we?

**Recap**: Four years ago, Bobby Mercer belonged to a group called "The Black Diamond", but he left it when he moved away to Chicago. When he was visiting his family back in Detroit, he killed Damon "Diamond" Terel's, leader of the Black Diamond, younger brother in self-defense. Trying to escape the guilt and from Diamond himself, Bobby goes back to Chicago earlier than planned. Now, four years later, Jack is trying to solve differences in his band, which revolve around a proper name for them. Bobby returns unexpectedly, which leads to the first real fight between him and Jack when he is drunk. Jack leaves the house to try to cool off, but as Evelyn watches him get farther and farther away from her, a horrible feeling grows inside of her.

Now, let's continue on with chapter three. Thanks for your patience!

Ch. 3: Phone Call

Angel entered the living room, looking angrily at his older brother as he continued to watch television. "What the _hell_ were you thinking, Bobby?!" he shouted at him. "What shit were you giving to Jackie?! Damn it, man! You _know_ that he's sensitive!"

Bobby looked up from the couch, seeming to be unaffected by his words. Angel sighed when he saw his blank look, and he turned away from his brother. "Where is Jack?" the oldest Mercer suddenly asked.

"Last time I saw him, he was going up to his room." Angel answered softly. "He seemed very upset…"

"I'm going to go talk to him." Bobby muttered, starting to get to his feet.

"Whoa, hold on, Bobby." Angel said, pushing him back down to the couch. "Now isn't the best time, man. Let's give him a chance to cool down a little, all right?"

Bobby sighed as he reluctantly leaned back against the couch and closed his eyes. "Fine…"

What the brothers didn't notice was that Evelyn was standing nervously on the porch near the front door, watching as Jack got farther and farther away from her.

Xxxxxxxxxx

Jack walked down the dark sidewalk, ignoring the fact that the street was empty. He dug into his hoddie pocket and pulled out the pack of cigarettes that he kept hidden from Evelyn. He took one and put the pack back in his pocket, putting the cigarette in his mouth but not lighting it. He knew that it was a bad habit that he had to break, but it wasn't like he did it often. He only did it when he was stressed… like he was now.

He soon found himself standing in front of their school, and he walked past the gate and sat down on the top stone step that led up to the front door. He took out his lighter and lit the cigarette that was in his mouth, inhaling as he took a deep breath. The youngest Mercer fought back tears as he thought about what had just occurred. This was the first real fight that he and Bobby had ever gotten into, and his words still stung him.

What was Bobby hiding?

"Does your mother know that you picked up that habit?" a voice suddenly asked.

The youngest Mercer looked up and was surprised to see who was standing over him. "Chloe." Jack muttered, realizing that he didn't even notice that she had followed him. "What are you doing here?"

"The real question is why are _you_ leaving your house at this hour of the night?" Chloe retorted, sitting down on the step next to him. "I saw you leave. Is everything all right?"

"Fine." Jack answered bluntly with a sigh as he put out his cigarette beneath his foot, knowing that the band member didn't like the smoke.

"I don't believe you." Chloe said as she watched him, putting her arms on her knees and resting her head on top of them.

Jack sighed again to hide the tears forming in his eyes. "Look, Chloe," he muttered, kicking the remains of the cigarette away from him, "I swear that nothing's…"

His sentence slowly trailed off when he saw a black car inching along the road toward the school without its headlights on. Having a bad feeling inside of him at the sight of it, Jack got to his feet and pulled Chloe up by her arms next to him. "Let's go," he whispered, putting his arm around her in a shielding way as he hurried toward the gate that went around the parking lot. When they reached the sidewalk, he made sure that he was the one that was closer to the street.

Chloe looked up into Jack's face nervously, wondering what had gotten him so uptight. He had never done this to her before… he had never been this protective. Something was wrong. "Jack…"

"Do you have your cell phone on you?" Jack asked as he sped his pace a little. He was relieved to see the band member nod. He could always rely on Chloe to have her cell phone… "Give it to me, please."

Chloe shakily reached into her coat pocket and found her cell phone, handing it over to Jack. The youngest Mercer flipped it open and hurriedly began to dial a number.

Suddenly, the car's headlights flared on, its light falling on the two teenagers. Jack looked behind him and saw that the black vehicle had also sped up and was keeping on them. "Run!" he shouted, pushing Chloe ahead of him as they began to run down the sidewalk. He put the phone to his ear, praying desperately that someone would pick up.

Chloe didn't understand what was happening. She ran next to Jack, not understanding. She had never seen him this scared. But she knew her friend well enough to know to listen to him.

Jack sighed as they continued to run in the direction of his house, listening as their phone gave another ring. Wasn't anyone home? The car behind them wasn't slowing down, the person inside having their sights set on them… The youngest Mercer knew that whoever the person was knew their weakness. It would only be a matter of time before they would get tired of running, and that was when they would make their move. He knew that they had to throw the car off.

"Hello?"

The sixteen-year-old gasped. He had been so absorbed in his thoughts that he was surprised when he heard the gruff voice of his brother answer the phone. "Bobby?" Jack asked, almost wishing that Angel had been the one to answer instead. "It's Jack."

He could sense the oldest Mercer's surprise from the other end. "Jack?" Bobby muttered. "What-?"

"Bobby, you have to help me!" Jack said anxiously, interrupting him. "Chloe and I are being chased!"

"By who? Some raved fan of yours?" Bobby asked with a slight laugh.

Jack couldn't believe how lightly his brother was taking what he had said. Couldn't he hear his urgency? How many times did he actually ask for help from the oldest Mercer? Hardly at all…

"No! Damn it, Bobby!" Jack shouted angrily into the phone. "A black car is following us! I think its license plate is "2 Mond"… I don't know who they are, Bobby!"

Bobby stopped laughing when he heard his youngest brother's heated statement. It wasn't possible… it couldn't be. He couldn't have found out about Jack… he couldn't have known that he had returned to Detroit… could he have? What he did know what that he couldn't afford to take a chance with his brother.

"Jack, I want you to listen to me, all right?" he muttered anxiously, glancing out of the window. "Don't come straight home. Take as many alleys as you can to try to throw him off. I'll meet you in my car as soon as I can. I'll bring my cell phone so I can tell you where to go, all right?"

The oldest Mercer's heart dropped when he didn't get a response from his brother. But he could hear that the line was still connected… "Jack? Jack!"

Suddenly, he heard the sound of a gunshot from the other end, but also echoing in the night air outside, followed by a loud scream. He heard Jack's voice shout Chloe's name, then heard the sounds of struggling. The sound of a car door being slammed reached his ears, and then there was silence.

Fear kept Bobby gripped to the phone, desperately hoping to hear more that would tell him if Jack was all right. But he heard nothing. "Jack!"

Then, he heard the soft sound of cold laughter, which sent both fear and anger coursing through him. "You took my brother from me, Bobby. Now it's time that I return the favor."

Bobby would recognize that voice anywhere. He opened his mouth to say something, but before he could, the man on the other end hung up. The oldest Mercer shakily hung up the phone as well, not believing whose voice he had heard after four years.

It was Diamond.

**A/N**: Hey! Hope you liked it. Again, I'm sorry that it was so long since I've updated this. I hope you will still read on. Thanks for reading! Your reviews are much appreciated!


	5. Chapter 4: Bobby's Secret

**Disclaimer**: None of the brothers or Evelyn are mine, but I do own Chloe and the Black Diamond.

**A/N**: Hey, guys! Thanks for your reviews! I really appreciate them. So, now I'm back with chapter four, but I'm not sure when chapter five will be on. Hopefully, sometime soon! I'm also starting a kind of "what if" Four Brothers story, so that should be interesting too. Oh. And for all of you who have read my Four Brothers story "Rooftop", I made a video on youtube that is a sort of "companion video" for it. You can find the link to it on my profile. I'm sorry that I couldn't fit Jack into this chapter, but I will in the next one. But don't worry. I won't forget about him! Hope you enjoy this chapter!

Ch. 4: Bobby's Secret

Bobby immediately rushed out of the living room to find his coat and shoes, not being able to believe what had just occurred. After four years… Diamond had found him. How he could have found him so fast, he would never know. And Jack. What had he done to Jack? Bobby knew that if he harmed a single hair on the teen's head, Diamond would pay with blood.

"Was that a gunshot I heard outside?"

The oldest Mercer looked up to find Angel standing at the top of the stairs, worry on his face. But when he saw his older brother about to leave, confusion replaced his worry. "Bobby, what are-!"

"Angel, call Jerry." Bobby interrupted, opening the door that led out onto the porch. "Tell him to get his ass over here."

"Why?" Angel asked. "What's going on, Bobby?"

"Just do it, Angel!" Bobby shouted, going out onto the porch.

Angel heard the sound of Bobby's care starting up and saw the headlights through the window. He listened as the sound got softer and finally died off before going downstairs to call his older brother. He would not be happy…

Evelyn slowly walked down the stairs, watching as Angel talked on the phone to who she assumed was Jerry. She entered the living room and closed the curtains and then went out onto the porch and turned on the light, seeing that Bobby's car was already gone.

Xxxxxxxxxx

Bobby slowly drove down the street, turning on his high beams as he searched for any sign of his brother. Diamond… He must have left some clue, some trace behind…

Suddenly, he stopped the car when he saw a girl walking down the sidewalk in the direction he had just come from. She was shivering in the cool, spring night air, and it looked like she was crying. The oldest Mercer suddenly recognized her as being the keyboardist in Jack's band… the girl who had been with him when Diamond took him.

She seemed to be terrified when Bobby stopped the car near her, and she sped her pace. The oldest Mercer climbed out of the car, raising his hands to show that he didn't have a weapon. "Chloe?" he said. "Hi. I'm Bobby Mercer, Jack's brother. I met you earlier today. Remember?"

After a moment, the girl relaxed and hurried over to him when she recognized him. As she approached, Bobby saw that her face was pale underneath her brown hair as she continued to cry. "He took him…" Chloe whispered, taking a deep breath. "Some man named Diamond…"

"Were either you or Jack shot?" Bobby asked anxiously, remembering that he had heard a gunshot over the phone.

Chloe shook her head. "No. He fired in my direction, but he missed. I don't think he was really aiming to hit me, just to get me farther from Jack…"

The oldest Mercer put his arms around her shoulders as a sob escaped from Chloe. "All right. It's all right." Bobby muttered as he tried to calm her, steering her towards the car. "Climb on in and I'll take you to our house. We'll make you some hot chocolate or somethin', all right?"

Chloe nodded and climbed into the passenger seat of the car as Bobby got back in behind the wheel. He started up the car as she put her seatbelt on, and he turned the vehicle around and headed back home.

Xxxxxxxxxx

Evelyn put a blanket around Chloe's shoulders as the girl sat down on the couch in the living room, handing her a cup of steaming hot chocolate. "There you go, dear." she said, sitting down next to her on the couch and giving her a hug. "I even gave my own special taste to it. I'll call your parents and let them know that you're here so they don't worry about you."

"They're away for the week, Miss Evelyn." Chloe told her quietly. "They called my aunt to come and watch me, but she won't arrive for a few days because her flight got delayed. There's no one home right now."

"Well, why don't you spend the night here then?" Evelyn suggested, letting go of her. "You're always welcome here. You can stay until your aunt arrives or when your parents come home, whichever the case may be. There's no need for you to stay alone in your house. I'll take the couch and you can sleep in my room."

Chloe smiled. "Thank you, Miss Evelyn. That sounds great." She was surprised at how well she was handling the news of Jack's kidnapping. Bobby had told her and Angel when he had brought her to the house, but he hadn't gone into detail. He was going to wait until Jerry arrived to explain the whole story.

Angel and Bobby were sitting in chairs across from them, both silently waiting. Chloe could tell that they were worried about Jack, yet angry at Diamond for taking him. Instead of trying to start up a conversation, she took a sip of the hot chocolate Evelyn had made for her. She was pleasantly surprised to taste a hint of cinnamon. She glanced up at Evelyn, who winked at her.

Bobby took a drink from his beer bottle when there was a knock on the door. He quickly got to his feet and opened the front door, seeing who was standing out on the lit porch.

"Why the hell did you have Angel call me this late at night, Bobby?" Jerry demanded angrily, surprising the oldest Mercer with his hostility. "I have to get up early tomorrow!"

Anger flared in Bobby's eyes, but he restrained the feeling. Instead, he looked away from him and sighed.

Jerry grew concerned when Bobby didn't return with a snappy comeback. "What's wrong?" he asked quietly. "Is everyone all right?"

The older Mercer sighed again. "Jack's gone, Jer." Bobby whispered so softly that his brother had to strain his ears to hear him, his voice cracking with the sadness that he felt for the first time. "He was kidnapped."

"Kidnapped?" Jerry repeated, horrified. "By who? Are we calling the police?"

"I'll explain inside." Bobby muttered, surprised to find tears of anger burning in his eyes. "Come on. I'm not telling this story twice."

Jerry followed Bobby into the hose and into the living room. "Chloe…" he said in surprise, seeing the girl sitting on the couch wrapped in a blanket.

"She was with him when Jack was kidnapped," Angel muttered without much feeling, looking up at his two older brothers. "Now, what the hell is going on, Bobby? You said that you knew this man? Why does he have Jack?"

The oldest Mercer sighed, sitting back down in the chair he had been sitting in before. "It all started years ago." Bobby explained, looking at the four people in the room with him. "I once belonged to a group called The Black Diamond. We got involved in a lot of small crimes around the city. I was only a young teenager at the time, and so were the rest of the members. But a few years later, Ma adopted me. I was still secretly a part of the group, that is until Jerry arrived."

Chloe felt a twinge of recognition at the group's name. So, that's why Bobby hadn't liked the option of the name "The Black Diamond" for their band…

"When Jerry joined the family, that's what became more important to me." Bobby continued. "Family began to matter more than The Black Diamond. As we got older, our crimes got bigger. I continued to meet with the group, but not as often. When Angel became my new brother, I met with them even less. At this point, Damon, whose nickname is Diamond because he's the leader of the group, even wanted to murder a man. I didn't want any part of it. That's about the time that Jack became a part of the family, and I stopped meeting with The Black Diamond completely.

"I spent a few more years with you guys, forgetting about Diamond and the others. Then, I moved to Chicago to start a job there. The Black Diamond was now out of my mind completely. I had left them.

"But when I came back to visit four years ago, I went to a bar one night and met Diamond there. We played a few games of poker, which I won, and he asked me to play a few more rounds. It was getting late, so I couldn't. I left the bar, but before I could leave, Diamond's brother came out and met me in the parking lot. He pulled a knife on me when he learned that I was no longer a part of the group, and I accidentally killed him in self-defense. That's why I was home so late and why I left again for Chicago the next morning. I knew that Diamond would be after me for killing his brother. It wasn't over."

The oldest Mercer had directed his last couple of sentences at Evelyn, whose eyes were shining with tears. Bobby sighed with fear that he wouldn't show, looking down at the ground.

"Man… this guy is crazy." Angel muttered, breaking the tense silence that had hung in the living room. "He kidnapped Jack so he could get to you since you killed his brother in self-defense? Are we going to call the police?"

"No." Bobby told him, a little abruptly. "If I know Diamond, he won't kill Jack. He wants me, not him. I'm going to do this on my own."

Before anyone could say anything else, Chloe gasped as her cell phone began to ring. "Unknown number…" she muttered as she looked at the caller ID.

Bobby looked at the small phone intently. "Does your phone have speaker?" he asked.

Chloe nodded, and the oldest Mercer quickly got to his feet and sat down on the couch next to her. "Answer it." Bobby told her. "Put it on speaker, but let me do all of the talking."

The keyboardist flipped her phone open, answering the call, pushing a button and nodded to Bobby. "Hello?" Bobby said, anxious to see if he was right about who was on the other line. Angel, Jerry, and Evelyn were just as tense.

"Hello, Mercer."

**A/N**: Cliffhanger! Not one of my most exciting ones, but it will do. I hope you liked it! Sorry there wasn't as much action in it and that it was mainly dialogue, but it was important so I had to do it. Hope you liked it anyway! Thanks for reading! Your reviews are much appreciated. Thank you!


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